Dear Friends,
I have traveled across five continents presenting evidences for the Christian faith and explaining the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I’ve worked with translators, one time with three translation teams simultaneously. In places where few speak English I have been served raw pork fat for breakfast, moldy vegetables for lunch, and goat meat with a greenish tint for dinner. I once climbed across hundreds of sleeping bodies to catch my plane, a plane in which various nuts, bolts, and other metal parts rolled around in the aisle. At one meeting I was splashed with the sweat of dancing celebrants.
Such experiences constitute what missionaries and other travelers refer to as "culture shock." I have just been reminded, however, that culture shock has little to do with geographical distance. It results from a different kind of distance, life-style distance, one might say. A few days ago I drove the few miles into downtown Los Angeles. I’ve been there before and seen the kinds of scenes common to all large cities in the world. Because I grew up in one of the poorest and most racially diverse parts of an urban center, I am touched but not shocked by these sights.
But the world I entered when I reached the studio was as foreign to me as any place on Earth could be. The biggest shock came first: I was about to be interviewed on one of the nation’s most popular radio programs—over two million listeners—and I had never even heard of it. The reasons I had never heard of it you may understand. For one, I am not a fan of rock music. For another, I see sex as a topic for circumspect and respectful discussion. You get the picture. Speaking of pictures, I decided keep my eyes on my notes—and, with God’s help, on the hearts of those who interacted with me.
You’d be amazed at what I saw there: spiritual openness, inquiring minds, and even a few pounds, not ounces, of reverence for God. The hosts gave me double the time they had scheduled. The phone lines lit up and remained lit. Profanity ceased. I received no abuse from the people at the station and only a little from one or two callers. Surprising? Not really. Remember who became followers of Christ: fishermen, soldiers, criminals, men and women the Pharisees wrote off as "publicans and sinners."
God gave me a potent reminder that evening to let him judge who’s "close to the kingdom" and who’s not. I hope for more opportunities like this one. I want to be filled with more of God’s love, which covers a multitude of sins, including my own.
Sincerely,
Hugh Ross
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